Kindness to Animals eBook

You know what a terrible thing the bite of a mad dog
is. The wound may be so small as hardly to leave
a scar, and it may heal, and be forgotten, perhaps
for weeks and months; still, the deadly poison is in
the person’s blood, and when it breaks out, a
most fearful death follows, after such sufferings
as nobody, who has not seen them, can have an idea
of. But, perhaps, you do not know that the angry
bite of a dog, when teased or hurt, has often produced
the same awful madness. I remember a neighbour’s
son dying most horribly of it, who had only had his
finger wounded, as if by a pin’s point, by the
tooth of a little dog which he was teasing and provoking
in play. This shows us how very dangerous it
is to irritate an animal; for you never know what peril
you may run into. These things do not fall out
by chance. The Lord God orders them all; and
sometimes he does very terrible things, in judgment
on those who knowingly transgress, and for an example
to others. May you, dear young readers, be loving,
and merciful, and kind; and never stand for a moment
in the hateful character of oppressors, where it is
alike your duty and your happiness to help the defenceless
and to protect the weak!

[Illustration]

CHAPTER IV.

Thecat—­thecow—­thesheep—­theass.

Poor Puss! I have not so much to say for her
as for the noble dog. The cat is more selfish,
and not so trustful; neither does she often show so
much affection for us. The cat’s habits
are more like those of a wild animal, than are the
habits of any other of our domestic creatures.
It is hardly possible to keep her from straying about,
or to teach her to do no mischief. I have had
a cat that would not steal, and a dog that would:
both proving that every rule has an exception.
I often think, when I see Puss watching for mice and
birds, and choosing them rather than meat, what a
wonderful thing it is that God should have taught a
beast of prey to attach itself to man, so far as to
rid him of other creatures which, by increasing too
fast, would eat up what he wants to live upon.
At the same time, I grieve to remember that this war
between us and the smaller animals, and between them
and each other, comes from our rebellion against God;
and I dare not set one creature to destroy another,
any farther than is necessary for my own safety, and
the support of my family.

Still the cat is an interesting animal, beautiful,
cleanly, graceful, and often very loving. A kitten
is even more engaging than a puppy. Its fun and
frolic are more diverting because of its light, active
movements. A grave old cat, sitting in the sunshine,
with her eyes half shut, and a merry little kitten,
playing with her tail, bounding over her back, and
comically boxing her ears, is a sight that I cannot
help stopping to admire. But how much to be pitied
is a kitten in the hands of children too young to